Envelope



Jan. 28, 1930. J, 5 BOEKER 1,745,289

- ENVELOPE Filed Feb.- 25, 1928 2 Shets-Sheet l rm Z5 3 gmntoz zz 26' JA B0e%e/" I I 3 Wozmq J. S. BOEKER Jan. 28, '1 930.

ENVELOPE Filed Feb. 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v zlwwmto'c dozier Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENVELOPE Application filed February 25, '1928. Serial No. 256,987.

This invention relates to envelopes and more particularly to a device of this character for mailing important documents, money or the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having a contents pocket which is not accessible either by buckling or steaming the flaps of the envelope and from which accordingly the contents may not be removed without destruction of the envelope.

A further object of the invention is to produce an envelope having a contents pocket provided with two flaps, one of which, which 1 may be termed a primary flap, being adapted for insertion in the pocket and for sealing engagement with one of the walls thereof and the other of which oppositely folds for engagement with the other wall of the pocket and is secured with a mechanical sealing means, so that it serves to prevent access to the first named flap which would permit steaming thereof to open the pocket.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily and cheaply manufactured.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a plan of a blank for use in constructing an envelope in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a face view of the envelope prior to the insertion of the contents;

Figure 3 is a similar view after the contents have been inserted and the initial sealing flap closed;

Figure 4: is a section on the line 44= of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectional View through the securing element;

Figure 8 is a composite view of the securing element.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the envelope comprises a front wall 10 and a rear wall 11 integrally connected to one another at one end, as indicated at 12. The front wall 10 is provided at its side edges with flaps 13 and 14 having glued edges and at its free end has a flap 15 provided with a glued edge. The rear wall has at its side edges flaps 16 and 17 which are of substantially the same size as the rear wall and have glue applied to the edges thereof at the opposite side faces from the glued edges of the flaps 13, 14 and 15. The free end of the rear wall 11 has a flap 18 which is provided upon the same face as the flaps 16 and 17 with glue. The flaps 13, 14 and 15 and rear wall 11 are each provided with an opening 19, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The numeral 20 generally designates a fastener coinprisinginner and outer plates 21 and 22 and a ring element 23. The plate 22 has radially projecting tabs 24 adapted to clinch about the ring element 23 to hold this ring element and the inner plate against separation from the'outer plate. The second element of the fastener comprises a bar 25 having upon its ends pointed tabs 26 and at its center a. pin 27, the extremity of which is tapered at 28 to form a guide and the body of which at a point slightly spaced from the end is reduced, as at 30. This pin is of such size that it will pass through an opening 31 formed in the outer plate 22 and at the reduction is of the same size as a central opening 33 formed in the inner plate 21. The inner plate is radially split from this central opening, so that resilient tongues are formed, which may be deformed to permit the head formed between the reduction and the outer end of the pin to pass. The bar 25 is secured to the unglued face ofthe flap 141: with the pin 27 projecting through the opening 19 thereof, the tabs 26 being projected through the flap and clinched upon the inner face thereof.

In assembling the envelope, the flap 18 of the rear wall is bent upon the inner face thereof and then the flap 16 is folded in upon the flap 18 and glued thereto. The glued edge of the flap 16-is then moistened and the rear wall folded upon the front wall, so that the moistened glue will cause the flap 16 to adhere to the front wall 10. At this point, attention is directed to the fact that the flaps 18 and 16 combine to form upon the inner face of the rear wall a pocket which is open at its top and one end and that by connection of the flap 16 to the front wall, this pocket is closed at 1ts end by the integral connection between the front and rear walls. With the flap 16 secured in position, the fla 15 is then placed in position and glued, and the flap 13 next placed in position. At this time, the openings 19 of the rear wall and flaps 13 and 15 will coincide. The inner plate is then placed against the rear wall with its opening 33 coincidin with the opening 19 thereof and the ring p aced against the inner face of this plate. The outer plate 22 is then placed against the flap l3 and the tabs 24 thereof forced through the flaps 13 and 15 and the rear wall 11 and clinched about the ring. The envelope is then ready for the reception of its contents which are placed in the opentopped ocket formed between the rear wall 11 and ap 16 and the front wall 10.

With the contents in position, the flap 17 is moistened and inserted in the pocket at the opposite face of the contents from the rear wall 11, and pressure applied to be sure that the flap 17 will adhere to the flap 16. The flap 14 is then moistened and folded downwardly over the connection of the fiap 17 with the rear wall and against the outer face of the rear wall and the flaps 13 and 15. At this time, the pin 27 will align with the openings of the plates 21 and 22 and the openings 19 of the flaps 13 and 15 and the rear wall and may be passed therethrough to permit locking engagement with the inner plate 21. Since the prongs formed by the radial slitting of the inner plate cannot move outwardly as they lie against the rear wall 11, this pin, once engaged, will be unremovable. The ring 23 prevents piercing of the contents by the pin during this engagement. The flap 14 will be glued and this, of itself, will render access to the bar 25 difiicult. Even if this bar were accessible to release the tabs, it is an extremely diflicult process, as they will be held closely against the surface of the flap 13, due to the coaction of the fastener elements. Even were the flap 14 released and in open position, access to the contents pocket is still prevented by the adhesion of the flap 17 to the flap 16 and the front wall.

It will be noted that after the flap 15 is in applied position against the rear wall, both ends of this pocket are closed by an integral connection with the front wall, so that there will be no possibility of loosening the ends of the pocket by steaming to afford access to the interior thereof.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that an envelope constructed in this manner will be practically proof against sneak thieves, as the destruction of the envelope is necessary to afford access to its contents. Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. An envelope comprising front and rear walls formed integrally at one end of the envelope, flaps extending from the free end edge and the lower edge of the rear wall and connected together and arranged between the front and rear walls to provide a pocket open at its upper side, a flap extending from the upper edge of the rear wall and adapted to be folded into the pocket and be secured to one of said first flaps to seal the pocket, flaps extending from the free end edge and the lower edge of the front wall and secured one against the other and against the outer surface of the rear wall, a fastening element secured to and extending through the rear Wall and the flaps of the front wall, a flap extending from the upper edge of the front wall and adapted to be folded downwardly against the outer side of the rear wall and the outer sides of the flaps of the front wall, and a fastening element carried by the fiap extending from the upper edge of the front wall and engaging said first fastening element.

2. An envelope comprising a front wall, a rear wall formed integrally with the front wall at one end of the envelope and provided with an inner pocket and a closure therefor, flaps extending from the free end edge and the lower edge of the front wall and secured one against the other and against the outer surface of the rear wall, a plate arranged at the inner surface of the rear wall and provided with resilient tongs having their inner ends spaced, a ring arranged against the inner surface of the plate, an outer plate arranged against the outer surface of one of said flaps and provided with an opening registering with the opening in the inner plate, tabs carried by the outer plate and passing through said flaps and the outer wall and bent into engagement with the ring, a flap extending from the upper edge of the front wall and adapted to be folded against the outer surfaces of the rear wall and said first flaps, and a headed pin secured to the flap extending from the upper edge of the front wall and adapted to pass through the outer plate and said other flaps and engage the inner plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN S. BOEKER. 

